I started the day with a filling protein shake — one of JLo's go-to breakfasts.

I'm a huge fan of protein shakes. So I was excited when I read that this is a staple in Lopez's diet. Although I have protein powder often, I usually don't eat it in shake form. Sometimes I'll mix it into oatmeal or combine it with water and microwave it for a quick mug cake.

Reverting back to my old shake days was slightly boring but, it also reminded me how quick and hands-off it can be to get in some extra protein. As per usual the protein kept me full, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my oatmeal.

Thanks to her Puerto-Rican roots, she also enjoys beans and rice, so I included some warm black beans in my salad — and it was a game changer. I also warmed up the chicken and corn, so it ended up tasting like a Chipotle burrito bowl.

3/

My dinner was broiled branzino, a vegetable medley, and potatoes.

Those mashed potatoes aren't mine.
Emily DiNuzzo

Lopez likes to avoid processed foods as much as possible, although she makes an exception with quinoa. According to her interview with Hello Magazine, another common dinner meal for Lopez is a fish and veggie combination. I had some roasted potatoes with broiled branzino and a steamed veggie medley.

Full disclosure: I did not prepare this meal. My aunt actually treated me to dinner one night, and I was thrilled to find out that sticking to Lopez's diet in a restaurant was easy.

I would have ordered this meal even if I wasn't following JLo's diet. But knowing that she would approve of my choice made it that much more enjoyable.

4/

I snacked on some celery, snap peas, and decaf tea.

Tea without caffeine is not tea.
Emily DiNuzzo

The hands-down hardest part of this week was giving up caffeine. I'm not even a coffee drinker, but I am a tea aficionado. I normally have multiple cups of green, black, earl grey, and chai tea every day.

Switching to caffeine-free herbal teas was painful. Lopez also doesn't drink alcohol, which was way easier to give up for a week then tea. In all honesty, I did eventually allow myself to have one cup of highly caffeinated green tea after the second day on this diet.

As for snacks, I stuck with Lopez's favorite, celery. For some reason, the celery I bought was unusually salty, so I only had a little bit and supplemented with some green snap peas — which is still in line with Lopez's veggie-focused diet.

5/

Being on this strict diet made me really evaluate what foods I like and why I like them.

I still liked the foods I was eating despite being on a diet.
Emily DiNuzzo

Lopez likes to cut a lot of foods and drinks out of her diet. Even though she has a lot of diet "don'ts," I didn't feel completely deprived as I have with other experiments. I think the main reason why this diet was so doable is because I was still able to eat a lot of my favorite foods. For example, instead of forcing myself to eat a totally random and voluminous avocado pudding like I did when I tried Khloe Kardashian's diet, I got to have my favorite protein shake.

I firmly believe that what you eat shouldn't make you feel 100% miserable. And cutting out some of my favorite foods during this diet made me realize what foods I miss, appreciate, and value the most.

Personally, my main goal currently is to mend my relationship with food and ditch the diet mentality. I'm trying to learn to ignore the little voice in my head that sometimes tells me what's "good" and "bad" food. So I'm OK with reintroducing things like processed grains and caffeine that celebs like Lopez avoid.

That said, I do give her a lot of props for sticking to her guns and doing what makes her feel best, like avoiding alcohol, especially since it goes against the status quo.

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